EB-1B Outstanding Professor or Researcher Green Card: Employer Sponsorship, Evidence, and Strategy
EB-1B is a first-preference green card category for outstanding professors and researchers.
Unlike EB-1A, EB-1B generally requires a qualifying U.S. employer and a permanent job offer.
The filing is still evidence-heavy, but it is often a strong option for academics who have a consistent record of peer recognition, publications, peer review activity, awards, and original contributions.
Start with the employment-based overview here:
Employment-Based Green Cards.
If you are also evaluating NIW, see:
EB-2 NIW.
Quick takeaways
- Employer petition is required (EB-1B is not a self-petition category).
- You must typically show 3+ years of teaching or research experience in the academic field.
- The job must generally be a tenure/tenure-track teaching position or a permanent research position.
- You must prove you are internationally recognized as outstanding in the academic field, supported by evidence and a final merits argument.
What USCIS is looking for in EB-1B
EB-1B focuses on whether the beneficiary is internationally recognized as outstanding in a specific academic field, has the required experience, and has a qualifying permanent job offer from a U.S. employer.
USCIS outlines the EB-1B framework in both its public category guidance and the Policy Manual.
Official references:
USCIS Policy Manual: EB-1B Outstanding Professor/Researcher
and
USCIS EB-1 overview.
The three EB-1B pillars (experience, job offer, outstanding recognition)
1) Teaching or research experience
EB-1B cases typically require a documented history of teaching and/or research experience in the academic field.
Strong cases show continuous progression, increasing responsibility, and independent recognition.
2) Permanent job offer from a qualifying U.S. employer
The job offer must be in a qualifying academic role. For professors, this is often tenure or tenure-track.
For researchers, the position must generally be “permanent,” meaning indefinite duration with an expectation of continued employment absent good cause.
3) International recognition as outstanding
EB-1B is not simply “good academic output.” The filing should show that peers recognize the beneficiary as outstanding.
The best evidence packages combine: objective metrics (citations, impact, adoption), independent recognition (awards, invited speaking), and gatekeeping roles (reviewing, judging).
Common EB-1B RFE issues (and how we structure around them)
- Job offer documentation is thin: offer letter does not clearly describe permanence, duties, and the academic field alignment.
- Evidence is not “peer-level”: reviewing/judging looks internal, junior, or not selective.
- “About the work” vs “about the person”: citations alone may not explain why the contributions are original and influential.
- Letters lack independent support: recommendation letters should point to external exhibits, not substitute for proof.
Free consultation
EB-1B is strongest when the evidence is organized as a system: job offer proof, experience proof, criterion mapping, and a final merits narrative.
Schedule here:
Free Consultation.